title: Scleroderma, stress and CAM utilization.
abstract: Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease influenced by interplay among genetic and environmental factors, of which one is stress. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used to treat stress and those diseases in which stress has been implicated. Results are presented from a survey of patients with scleroderma. Respondents were a convenient sample of those attending a national conference in Las Vegas in 2002. Findings implicate stress in the onset, continuation and exacerbation of scleroderma. The implication is that CAM providers may be filling an important patient need in their provision of services that identify and treat stress and its related disorders.
authors.affiliation: Center for East-West Medicine,Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA. khui@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Ka-Kit
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Michael Francis
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tafur
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim Ho